Safety guard for spring traps



.Ean. 9, 1923.

M. S PITTMAN. .SAFETY GUARD FOR SPRING TRAPS4 FILED DEc. 29. 1920.

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Patented Jan. 9, i923.

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MOSES S. PITTMAN, OF SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA.

SAFETYG'UARD FOR SPRING TRAPS.

Application filed December 29, 1920. Serial No. 433,895.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that l, Mosns S. PITTMAN, a citizen ofthe United States, residing at San Diego, in the county of San Diego and.

State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety i-iuards for Spring Traps of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in safety appliances for spring traps, and my object is to prevent injury to a persons fingers while setting said trap. The invention is intended more particularly for use on that type of spring trap employed in catching mice and rats.

With the above object in view, reference will now be had to the accompanying drawing, in which: i

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of the trap in unset position and equipped with the safety appliance.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the trap showing the safety device in operative position.

Referring more particularly to the several parts of the trap, 2 designates a block or base upon which the working parts of said trap are mounted. a

4 designates the aw of the trap which is made of a section of wire bent into rectangular form and having one end formed into an eye 6 through which the opposite end oi said wire is passed. The jaw 4 is pivotally mounted at its rear end in bearings or staples 8, secured to the block 2.

10 designates a coil spring mounted upon the rear end of the jaw 4, and having one end 12 bearing upon said jaw 4 and the other end 14 bearing upon the base 2 of the trap, thus serving to tension said spring 10 when the jaw 4is drawn backwardly pre paratory to setting the trap.

16 designates a latch which holds the jaw 4 in set position, said latch being loosely connected at its rear end to a staple 17 secured. to the base 2.

18 designates the trigger of the trap, which has an end. 20 bent upwardly at an angle to its main body and pivotally engaging a staple 22 secured to theblock 2. The end 20 of the trigger 18 has a perforation 21 for receiving the forward end of the latch 16 when the same is adjusted to hold the aw 4 in set position. A bait holder 24 is struck n 1 I i y iioni the main portion of the tri ger 18, to

which any suitable bait (not shown) may be secured.

t I L A, all 01 the foregoing are of usual or any preiterred construction i H 1 .lhe saiety appliance constituting the 1mportant feature of the invention consists of a, substa tially, U-sha-ped element 25 formed, preferably, from a section of wire having an intermediate portion 26 provided with a V-shaped off-set 28 to fit over the latch 16 oi? thetrap. The end members 30 of the element 25 are bent toward each other and mounted in bearings 34, and the extreme ends of said end members 30 are bent as incncated at 36 to prevent them from slidin out of their bearings ii a In order to prevent the trap from being dragged away by a rodent caught by the foot, oppositelydisposed fastening members 42 are provided to which a string or the like (not shown) may be attached and secured to one hand. whilethe other hand is used to engage the trigger 18 with the end of the latch 16. It will thus be seen that the jaw 4 is heldfronrbtaing sprung while the trigger is being setand danger of injuring the lingers is thereby avoided.

From the foregoing description it will be understood that I have provided a safety appliance whichwill prevent the trap from springing shut while being set and one which cannot be dragged away by rodents caught in said trap, and while I have shown the preferred I reserve the right to make such nfoperly fall within the the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is: y

In combinationwith a trap having a substantially rectangular spring actuated jaw and means including a latch for holding said awin set position, a U-shaped safety device changes as spirit and scope of adapted to engage two sides of the trap jaw In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, and provided intermediate its ends with an in the presence of two witnesses. off-set to engage and hold the latch while the trap is-being .set,.@and bearings fixed to the base of the'trap near the opposite sides "Witnesses: thereof and in which the ends of said U- GEO. H. WEBB, 

